Rubens Barrichello sets the fastest time
of the session just 0.015 seconds ahead of David Coulthard. Heinz Harald Frentzen, Michael
Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen and Ralf Schumacher make the top 6.

Barrichello's time is just 0.112 seconds slower than the
pole position time set here last year. The times should drop even further but the increase
in temperature will not help!.

It appears that Jordan, Williams, Sauber and even Prost are
well suited to this track while Arrows and BAR are not. Qualifying should give a better
picture!

Nick Heidfeld did the most number of laps with 19 followed
by Pedro de la Rosa with 17 laps. Gaston Mazzacane had a bad start to the day only
managing to complete 5 laps and then stopping on the track with transmission problems.
Pedro Diniz and Ralf Schumacher only did 8 laps. Most drivers completed between 11 and 16
laps.

The session started with dry and warm conditions and a
temperature of 24 degrees.

As soon as the session started most drivers go out on their
installation laps. Both Arrows drivers stay out and Jos Verstappen sets the first time of
the day.

All drivers complete their installation laps within the
first 10 minutes of the session.

Eddie Irvine goes fastest with a time of 1:20.741.

10 minutes into the session and it is Eddie Irvine ahead of
Alexander Wurz and Jenson Button. Jos Verstappen, Pedro de la Rosa and Gaston Mazzacane
make the top 6.

Heinz Harald Frentzen goes fastest with a time of 1:20.126
and another bad session for Mazzacane after suffering a transmission failure.

14 minutes into the session and Mika Salo is the first to
go under the 1:20 mark with a time of 1:19.953 taking first position. 15 drivers have so
far set a timed lap.

Both Hakkinen and Barrichello start their first timed laps
and so does Trulli. Hakkinen goes fastest while Barrichello jumps into 4th on their first
laps.

20 minutes into the session and it is Mika Hakkinen ahead
of Jarno Trulli and Mika Salo. Heinz Harald Frentzen. Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine
make the top 6.

Moments later both David Coulthard and Michael Schumacher
go out on their first timed laps and Coulthard goes fastest then Schumacher goes even
faster. Both go sub 1:19. Mika Hakkinen follows into the 1:18 territory and so does a
surprise Ralf Schumacher.

With 10 minutes remaining in this 45 minute session and the
top 6 remains David Coulthard ahead of Michael Schumacher and Ralf Schumacher. Mika
Hakkinen, Rubens Barrichello and Heinz Harald Frentzen make the top 6.

Pedro Diniz is the last to start his first timed lap. He
moves into 13th place.

In the final 5 minutes most drivers go out on their final
lap before the 30 minute break between the 2 sessions with Rubens Barrichello going
fastest just 0.015 seconds ahead of Coulthard while Frentzen moves into 3rd just 0.143
seconds behind Barrichello.

Final Order: Rubens Barrichello ahead of David Coulthard
and Heinz Harald Frentzen. Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen and Ralf Schumacher make the
top 6.

Michael Schumacher dominates the second
session as he sets the fastest time of the session early and continued to improve
throughout the session. David Coulthard was second ahead of Rubens Barrichello. Heinz
Harald Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen make the top 6.

Michael's time is the only one under the 1:18 mark. In fact
his time is 0.761 faster than the pole position time of last year. Schumacher's time is
over a second faster than the time he set in the first session. David Coulthard was the
only other driver to set a time faster than pole position of last year but he was still in
the 1:18's and a massive 0.630 seconds slower than Michael. On the other hand, Mika
Hakkinen made no improvement to his time. Barrichello, Frentzen and both the Prost drivers
also failed to improve on their times from the first session.

Giancarlo Fisichella made the most number of laps this
session with 20 followed by Michael Schumacher with 18. Mika Hakkinen did the least with 9
while Alexander Wurz only managed 10. Most drivers completed between 12 and 16 laps.

The session started under dry and warmer conditions with a
temperature of 27 degrees. Several drivers go out immediately including Jean Alesi, Jos
Verstappen and the 2 Schumacher's. Jos Verstappen was the first to improve his time but
remains back in 20 position.

Michael Schumacher goes fastest and sub the 1:18 mark with
a time of 1:17.824. This time is already 0.332 seconds faster than pole position time last
year. Jarno Trulli also improves.

Order after 10 minutes into the session: Michael Schumacher
ahead of Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard. Heinz Harald Frentzen, Mika Hakkinen and
Ralf Schumacher make the top 6.

Ralf Schumacher moves to 5th while Michael Schumacher
improves further to 1:17.675.

Jean Alesi goes wide through the gravel trap but recovers.

Eddie Irvine improves to 8th and Giancarlo Fisichella to
9th.

20 minutes into the session and it is Michael Schumacher
ahead of Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard. Heinz Harald Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher
and Mika Hakkinen make the top 6.

David Coulthard moves into 2nd position beating last year's
pole time but still in the 1:18's. Ricardo Zonta struggling here spins but recovers. He is
in 19th position.

Michael Schumacher goes even faster with a time of
1:17.395. David Coulthard improves but still in the 1:18's

15 minutes remaining and it is Michael Schumacher ahead of
David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello. Heinz Harald Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher and Mika
Hakkinen make the top 6.

Most drivers go out in the final 10 minutes of the session
in final preparations for the qualifying session.

5 minutes remaining and it is Michael Schumacher ahead of
David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello. Heinz Harald Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher and Mika
Hakkinen make the top 6.

The top drivers fail to improve in the remaining few
minutes of the session.

Final Order: Michael Schumacher ahead of David Coulthard
and Rubens Barrichello. Heinz Harald Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen make the
top 6.

Michael Schumacher dominates the
qualifying session and grabs his 5th pole position of the season 0.372 seconds ahead of
David Coulthard. Mika Hakkinen, Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Heinz Harald
Frentzen make the top 6.

Michael Schumacher only used 9 of his 12 laps while all
other drivers did 11 or 12 laps. The top 3 are all under the 1:18 mark.
Ralf Schumacher was also impressive qualifying in 4th place (his best qualifying position
this year) placing his Williams ahead of the 2nd Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello by just
0.009 seconds. His team-mate Jenson Button also did well qualifying 8th.
Heinz Harald Frentzen is in 6th spot while his team-mate Jarno Trulli is back in 12th.
Giancarlo Fisichella is in 7th while his team-mate Alexander Wurz is in 11th. Eddie Irvine
is 10th while Johnny Herbert is in 17th!.

Apart from the top 2 teams, Williams, Jordan and Benetton
appear to be suited to this track while Arrows (de la Rosa in 15th and Verstappen in 20th)
and BAR (Villeneuve in 16th and Zonta in 18th) are not.

The session started under dry and hot conditions with the
temperature at 30 degrees.

It took 15 minutes until the first car came out and
surprisingly it was Mika Hakkinen followed by Ricardo Zonta, Alexander Wurz and Jos
Verstappen.

Hakkinen sets a time of 1:19.291 ahead of Alexander Wurz,
Jos Verstappen and Ricardo Zonta.

20 minutes into the session and it is Mika Hakkinen ahead
of Alexander Wurz, Jos Verstappen and Ricardo Zonta. Only 4 drivers have set times so far.

Pedro de la Rosa and Gaston Mazzacane are next to set timed
laps. They are followed by the Williams pair and Ralf Schumacher takes provisional pole
with a time of 1:19.115

25 minutes into the session and it is Ralf Schumacher
ahead of Mika Hakkinen and Jacques Villeneuve. Jenson Button, Alexander Wurz and Pedro de
la Rosa make the top 6. 11 drivers have set times so far.

More drivers go out including David Coulthard and Rubens
Barrichello. Coulthard puts in a stunning lap of 1:18.155 taking provisional pole.
Barrichello is in 2nd 0.354 seconds behind.

30 minutes into the session and it is David Coulthard ahead
of Rubens Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher. Giancarlo Fisichella, Mika Hakkinen and Mika
Salo make the top 6. 18 drivers have set times so far.

Michael Schumacher goes out and puts even a better lap than
Coulthard taking top spot with a time of 1:17.514. Eddie Irvine moves into 4th place and
Frentzen into 5th.

35 minutes into the session and it is Michael Schumacher
ahead of David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello. Eddie Irvine, Heinz Harald Frentzen and
Ralf Schumacher make the top 6.

Mika Hakkinen moves from 11th to 3rd while David Coulthard
sets a time under the 1:18 mark but is still 0.415 seconds behind Michael Schumacher.

40 minutes into the session and it is Michael Schumacher
ahead of David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen. Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and
Giancarlo Fisichella make the top 6.

Michael Schumacher goes out but doesn't improve. He is just
0.002 seconds slower than his best time. Rubens Barrichello improves but stays in 5th.

50 minutes into the session and the order remains Michael
Schumacher ahead of David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen. Ralf Schumacher, Rubens
Barrichello and Giancarlo Fisichella make the top 6.

Coulthard and Hakkinen improve their times but not their
positions remaining 2nd and 3rd.

With 5 minutes to go, the top 6 remains unchanged.

All the drivers go out on their final attempt with Frentzen
moving to 6th, Hakkinen improving his time but not his position while Johnny Herbert spins
causing a yellow flag situation spoiling the fast laps of those behind!

Final Order: Michael Schumacher ahead of David Coulthard
and Mika Hakkinen. Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Heinz Harald Frentzen make the
top 6.